


Things Change

by mysticdrabbles (kiterious)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Gender Neutral MC - Freeform, Gender neutral Vanderwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 07:36:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11641941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiterious/pseuds/mysticdrabbles
Summary: Saeyoung gets some disturbing news about the current president. Specifically, that he's in town. Their town. He has to do something. He has to do whatever it takes to keep his family safe....Or does he?





	Things Change

**Author's Note:**

> This was an anonymous request on my tumblr that got a little out of hand. The request was: "Thoughts on how the twins would react of their father came to do some political shit where they live?"
> 
> Enjoy! And feel free to send a request to me at mysticdrabbles.tumblr.com E>

It wasn’t unusual to see the twins do things in unison. They may seem like polar opposites some days, but the fact remains that they are two halves of one seamless soul. 

It usually happened with little quirks or habits from their past. 

Sometimes they would act on it. Sometimes Saeran’s hand would twitch or his eyes would flick towards his brother before stubbornly fixating on his shoes, or something equally uninteresting.

This was not one of those times.

The room was relaxed enough, at first. Saeran was clearly anxious but was trying to pass it off as being aloof and uncaring. Saeyoung thought his efforts were cute. He’d tell him so later. His twin hated when he called him cute, and Saeran blushing and muttering creative insults was always amusing. 

He had to wait until they got home of course, for two reasons. One, Saeran would hate being embarrassed in front of a group he barely felt comfortable in as it was. And two, you weren’t here. He needed a partner to appreciate Saeran’s tsundere-ness with.

He still felt bad for leaving you behind. As the RFA party coordinator, you usually attended all their meetings. But today you had come down with a flu and couldn’t make it. 

Hence why Saeran, who had been assisting you from home lately, was filling in for you.

(Honestly, Saeyoung suspected you may have been playing up your symptoms to convince Saeran to come. You always said it’d do them both good to get out more.)

Jumin’s voice slipped through his thoughts, pulling him back to the current conversation.

“Ah, I forgot. I have company business that will be keeping me rather busy tomorrow, so please don’t try to contact me unless it’s important.”

“Another cat related business plan?” Saeyoung teased, looking hopeful. Maybe Jumin would finally build the cat hotel and then Saeyoung could sneak in and play with mountains of kitties. Maybe he could convince Saeran to join him. If there were two of them they could cuddle twice as many cats.

“Unfortunately, no. The president of South Korea will be in town and he will be meeting with C&R to…”

Neither twin heard a word after that. They both froze, their bodies reverting back to a time when the only safety was each other as they locked eyes across the couch. 

Too rattled to be considered quite smooth, Saeyoung jumped to his feet. He saw the others staring at him through his peripheral vision. Had he cut Jumin off? Was he shaking? It sure felt like it.

“I just remembered, Saeran and I promised  MC we’d be home in time to help her with dinner.” His eyes never left Saeran’s. He hoped his didn’t look as fearful and anxious as his brother’s did. He had to be strong. “Saeran?”

Saeran stood slower, like he was still trapped in a daydream. 

Or a memory. 

“Yeah. I’m coming.”

Without another word the two bolted to the car, leaving the rest of the RFA lost and confused. 

“What just happened?”

* * *

“What if he saw us at the party?”

Saeyoung’s foot pressed harder on the gas pedal, ever so slightly, as he shook his head.

“There weren’t any cameras there, it’s not allowed. He couldn’t have found out unless…”

“Unless he sent someone in.”

Saeyoung nodded. His foot pressed down harder.

“I have to go over the guest list.” 

The car screeched into the garage, skidding to a stop in the very middle. He didn’t have time to put it back in it’s spot.

“I’m going to find out if any of the guests are involved with the government,” he said, throwing his seat belt off. He was running through plans aloud to himself more than he was informing his brother.

“I can cross reference the guest list with an online database of government workers. If that doesn’t work, I can check their families. Or I can check through government officials private correspondence to see–”

He tried to get out of the car, but Saeran was there when the door opened. His brother pushed him back into his seat. 

“I’ll do that part. You check the list.”

“Saeran-”

“I’m helping,” his twin cut him off with a stern look. “I can’t… I’m not…”

Saeran looked away, a clear sign that he was thinking of things long past. Neither of them really liked thinking about back then.

“I’m not a weak little kid anymore. You don’t have to…”

_~~You don’t have to leave me behind again.~~ _

_“_ I can- no, I’m going to help. You can try and stop me but you’d just be wasting time.”

He knew he couldn’t argue with his brother. Saeran was right. There was no reason he couldn’t help with this. Saeyoung was just so used to protecting him…

He begrudgingly agreed and the two made their way inside.

Saeyoung had to stop in to check on you first. He just… needed to see that you were okay. 

You were. You were sleeping. Thank God.

And Saeran was the lucky one to run into Vanderwood. 

(They were one of the few people Saeyoung trusted, and he had  ~~blackmailed~~ asked them to come keep an eye on you while the twins were out. Paranoia. Gotta love it.) 

“Back already?” they asked, raising an eyebrow as Saeran stalked past them.

“Nope.” Saeran picked up speed, hoping the nosy former agent would just drop it.

Vanderwood followed him. “No snarky comment? No insults? Just… ‘nope’?”

“Yep.”

They fell silent, eyes narrowing in suspicion at the younger twin. 

They barely looked away in time to see Saeyoung headed straight for them. They quickly jumped out of the way. 

“Oi, watch where you’re speed walking!”

“Sorry,” Saeyoung muttered, dropping himself in front of the computer next to Saeran’s. 

“Okay, one of you is going to need to give me an answer with more than one word or I swear I will cut the power to this room.”

“Do it and I’ll cut off your hair with the broken shards of that mug after I smash it over your stupid head,” Saeran snapped.

“Well, that’s more in character, at least,” Vanderwood muttered to themself. They moved to stand behind Zero Seven (the devil you know and all), trying to catch the words flying across the screen. “Seriously, is something up with the agency?”

“This… isn’t about the agency.” Saeyoung answered through clenched teeth. Could he tell them? Normally he wouldn’t even consider it, but Vanderwood already knew everything else. If they really wanted to, they might even be able to find out. And besides, what was sharing one more damning fact about himself? As it was, if Vanderwood was caught or decided to turn on him he was pretty much dead. And they… might be able to help.

“It’s… our father.” He checked out of the side of his eyes to see Saeran’s reaction. His twin stiffened slightly, but said nothing. Saeyoung took that as permission to continue. 

He told Vanderwood the basics. How their mother blackmailed a high up political figure (withholding the exact name was pointless now, but old habits die hard) and how said political figure had spent a majority of their childhood trying to dispose of them to stop said blackmail. 

And, most importantly, how the man they hadn’t heard from in over ten years was suddenly showing up in the town closest to their new home.

When he was done, Vanderwood shook their head.

“And I thought my family was shitty.” They didn’t say anything for a while, just watching as Saeyoung typed. “What are you gonna do?” they asked at last.

“I…” Saeyoung’s steady typing faltered. “I don’t know.”

“For now we’re just gathering all the information we can,” Saeran spoke up. 

There was a period of silence before Vanderwood nodded again. 

“Let me grab my laptop. I’ll see if any of my old sources know anything.”

* * *

You woke up alone, which was rare. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d woken up without at least one of the Choi twins within arm’s reach. Where were they?

You knocked on the door to Saeran’s room as you passed. No answer. They had come home last night, right…?

“ _Damn it!”_

You jumped slightly at the muffled exclamation. It sounded like it was coming from… Saeyoung’s lab?

You tiptoed quietly up to the door of Saeyoung’s computer room, peeking inside. 

Vanderwood was on the floor against the wall, eyes closed and clearly either just waking up or about to fall asleep. Saeran’s eyes were dark and unreadable, and laser focused on the screen in front of him. And Saeyoung…

* * *

Saeyoung sat at his desk, his head in his hands and his fists clenched around his hair. 

“Still nothing?” Saeran asked.

“Nothing,” Saeyoung replied, throwing his head against the back of his chair. “There’s no trace of us anywhere online. How could he have–”

He quickly cut himself off as he spotted you.

“MC. Hey.”

“Saeyoung? What’s going on?” you asked, rubbing sleep out of your eyes. But he didn’t have time to comment on how adorable you were.

“It’s nothing. Please, MC, go back to sleep.” He forced himself to go back to typing, even though it was the last thing his brain wanted to do.

He could practically feel your stare burning into his back. “Is it… the agency? Are they back?”

“No,” Saeyoung assured you quickly, still not moving his eyes from his hands.

“Then what’s going on?” 

“Nothing,” he repeated. He didn’t want you to worry. More importantly, he didn’t want you to get involved.

“Did something happen at the meeting last night?”

“I said it’s nothing!” By the time he’d swiveled the chair around to snap at you the words were already out. He met your shocked, hurt eyes for only a second before he looked away again. “Just… go away. Please.”

The room was silent. Like that one moment had stretched out and become space itself, creating a vacuum around the room’s occupants.

“I’ll go get you guys something to eat,” MC said at last, shuffling away from the door. 

Saeyoung sighed. He would apologize to you later. Assuming his crazy powerful father didn’t hunt him down before he got the chance.

They worked in silence, awkwardness still lingering thick in the air from yours and Saeyoung’s fight. Saeyoung didn’t notice you were back until a plate of eggs was placed next to him… along with a newspaper.

“Is this what this is about?” you asked quietly.

Saeyoung froze. “I… yeah,” he admitted with a sigh. No point hiding it now. “I must have slipped up somewhere. But I can’t figure out where. I don’t know how much he knows, and I… I don’t know what to do.” You always did have a way of dragging the truth from him without trying. 

“You know… it’s possible that it’s just a coincidence. Maybe he doesn’t even know you’re here.”

Saeyoung was silent a second before he went back to typing. “You can’t understand.” His eyes filled with guilt. “I’m sorry. I just... I have to do this.”

Then you were gone again, and the room was once more filled with awkward silence and the clicking of keys.

“You know, she’s right.”

“What?” Saeyoung straightened up and turned to face Vanderwood. They didn’t flinch.

“It’s not like it’s all that weird for a president to go places. Maybe he really is just here for Jumin?” they suggested.

“No, that’s not...” Saeyoung should his head. “We’re never that lucky.”

He went back to typing. He heard Vanderwood do the same after a short pause, which he guessed was them rolling their eyes. He didn’t care, as long as they let him work.

“What if it really is a coincidence?” It was Saeran who spoke up this time, his voice quiet. “What are the chances that he somehow found something on us that  _we_ can’t even find?”

Saeyoung’s throat was tight. He wanted to agree. He wished it was just a coincidence. But...

He couldn’t. 

“He has to know,” he argued. “I don’t know how, but... it just makes sense.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“You wouldn’t know. You weren’t there,” he snapped. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder wherever you went for men in black suits. You didn’t have to worry that someone was waiting to ambush you every time you stepped outside.”

Saeran stood up too, glaring at Saeyoung with a ferocity he hadn’t seen since his brother had first moved in. 

“You’re right, I wasn’t there. Because I couldn’t leave the house. I was too busy being locked up and fucking  _tortured._ ”

Saeyoung visibly flinched. He dropped his gaze first, staring guiltily at his feet. 

“...Should I go?” Vanderwood asked, sounding almost awkward. 

Saeran crossed his arms and looked away too, saying nothing. Saeyoung sighed, moving back to hover over his computer.. 

“No. We have to keep working.”

“Why?” Saeran snapped, clearly too riled up to stay silent. “What if he does know? What are we going to do, kill him?”

“If I have to, yes!”

Of course, that was when you walked in. Instantly everyone stopped talking. Saeyoung avoided your eyes. 

“I brought drinks,” you  said, setting two cups of tea and a bottle (of water, not PhD. Pepper) down on the table.

No one moved to take them. No one spoke. No one looked at you. 

You left without a word. 

Saeran was quick to storm out after you left, knocking his chair to the ground as he left.

That was fine. Saeyoung didn’t want him involved anyways. Especially not if it came to... if he had to...

His thoughts were cut short as his computer went black. “What the hell?” He looked over at Vanderwood, who shrugged back.

“Power must’ve went out. My laptop’s not charging either.”

“Did Saeran-?”

“No. I did.” 

It was you, standing in the doorway with your arms crossed. “Vanderwood, may I have a moment with my husband?”

Vanderwood was already up and halfway out the door by the time you were done your question, calling a quick “See ya,” over their shoulder. 

You walked into the room. Saeyoung still wasn’t meeting your eyes. He had his hands on the keyboard, tapping lightly at the keys. 

“Saeyoung,” you started softly, standing in front of him. “Please, talk to me.”

“I just...” His throat was tight. He felt like he couldn’t speak. Until he did, and the words wouldn’t stop. You’d always had that effect on him. 

“I almost forgot about him. I let my guard down. And now this life that I’ve tried so hard to create, a life where my brother is healthy and we’re both free and people  _love_ us... I could lose it all. And I would do anything,  _anything_ , to keep that from happening.”

You reached out and grabbed one of his hands, gently opening his now clenched fists to tangle your fingers together.

“Nothing is going to happen to our family, Saeyoung.” Your other hand moved to cup his cheek. “We’re safe here. This is the most secure building in the country, remember? We’ll just stay here until he leaves.”

Saeyoung looked away. “I should kill him. It’s the only way to guarantee we’ll stay safe.”

“That’s not who you are, though,” you said softly.

He gently pulled you down into his lap, hiding his face in your shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.

“I’ve killed before.” 

“First of all, what they made you do has no say in who you are,” you said sternly. “And secondly, that was the past. This isn’t your old life. This is  _our_  life.”

“So, what, you want me to just close my eyes and let whatever happens, happen?”

“Not necessarily. But you have more options than just do nothing or do everything alone. That’s the person you don’t have to be anymore. The one who takes on everything by himself and pushes everyone away. The person who risks everything because he has nothing to lose. You can be the person who turns on all the alarms and keeps an eye on security cameras from the safety of your living room with your family.”

Saeyoung was quiet. You gently stroked his hair, letting him cry silently into your shoulder.

“Okay,” he said at last, his voice raw. “Okay. I’ll... I’ll stop.”

“Thank you.” You pressed a kiss to his forehead.

He smiled sheepishly, before something hit him. “I should go talk to Saeran.”

You stood up to let him pass, giving him one last kiss for good luck.

* * *

_Knock knock._

“Piss off.”

“MC turned the computers off,” Saeyoung explained. He wasn’t sure what else to say. 

“Go cry to someone else, I don’t control your lover.”

“That’s not...” He sighed. “Look, I was scared. Scared of... of losing you. But MC talked some sense into me.”

“Good for you.”

“I came to say I’m sorry, Saeran.” He sat down against the door. “I’ve spent all my life trying to protect you. But... that’s not our life anymore. I’m still getting used to that.”

There was no response. But there was no snarky retort either, so he supposed that was something. 

“Our lives are different now. We don’t have to fight to exist. The past day, all that obsessive working... that was the old me.”

Still no answer. He sighed. Maybe Saeran just needed time. But as he moved to stand up, the door opened behind him, sending him sprawling onto the floor. He looked up to see his brother looking down, arms crossed again. (Or still?)

“And what does new Saeyoung plan to do?” he asked, almost cautiously.

New Saeyoung frowned. “I’m not sure. But why don’t we figure it out as we go? Together?” His face softened into a smile. “I’m pretty sure there’s ice cream in the freezer. How about we start with that?”

Anyone else might not have noticed the slight softening of Saeran’s eyes before they darted away. “Whatever.” He reached a hand down. “Now get up. You look like an idiot down there.”

There was ice cream in the freezer. Saeyoung set up as much security around the bunker as he could while Saeran pulled it out and scooped it into three bowls. Well, four. Vanderwood was still here and you had insisted that they join the “waiting in the bunker for the Choi twins illegitimate father to leave town and hoping he doesn’t come after them before he does” party.

You and Saeran sat on either side of Saeyoung. Vanderwood took a seat in the corner of the couch beside you.

You immediately curled up into your husband’s side. Saeran was more cautious about it, sitting on the edge of the couch first and slowly inching closer to his twin. 

The four of you spent the night eating ice cream, and watching bad movies while occasionally glancing at the surveillance cameras on one of the screens Saeyoung had set up. 

You fell asleep first, curled up against Saeyoung’s side. Vanderwood was next, their head falling back against the couch. Then Saeran, leaning against his twin brother. 

And then there was one. Saeyoung glanced at the monitor. The screen was empty and still, just like it had been all day. He was safe. He glanced around at the three sleeping figures, his eyes soft. You were all safe. That was his last thought before he drifted off to sleep with the rest of his new family.

Saeyoung was the second to wake up (Vanderwood was first. They were currently cleaning up the ice cream bowls from last night.) to the sound of the RFA app. It was Jumin messaging the chatroom to say that the business with the president had gone well and he had returned to his residence in the Blue House.

The threat was... over. Just like that. No, it was more accurate to say there was never any threat at all. It was just a coincidence. He almost laughed he was so relieved. He kissed both you and Saeran on the head, earning a giggle from you and a half asleep “lea’me ‘lone” from his twin. 

He stopped, soaking up the feeling of being surrounded by the twin he’d feared he’d lost and the lover he never imagined he’d meet. 

So this was what new Saeyoung did. Huh. He could get used to this. 


End file.
